Eurovision ("Melodifestivalen") 2008- The Swedes lose their innocence? (things I didn't get around to posting...)

The Swedes take Melodifestivalen very seriously- they even repeat the whole (and I mean whole, no editing here, the whole 3 hour plus) thing the next day in case you missed it...

By comparison the only reason its on UK TV is the fact that Terry Wogan needs a job (and that the BBC is one of the 4 networks that pay for it...)

I will admit to watching it in the past- We would get together on a Saturday night after a days work at Russell's and make fun of the contestants, flip popcorn at the screen and generally abuse the performers- I think that's the traditional British approach. We realise that its useless fluff and drivel and either ignore it, or mercilessly mock it. (The first time I realised that somebody took it seriously was when I was at college: I was working in pizza restaurant and a Croatian colleague was bemoaning the fact that he was missing Eurovision. It took us all a while to realise that he was serious!)

Anyway as I was saying, the Swedes take it all seriously (I don't know, maybe its their ABBA History...) even holding televised regional contests in order to find their entrant.

You see the Swedes make the mistake of thinking that the music really counts and that Eurovision is a genuine cultural, artistic and musical event...

Oh dear...

So they turned up with their entrant, Charlotte Perrelli (although why anyone would want to change their name from a normal sounding "Nilsson" to a topless car tyre calendar is beyond me...)- the only singer who can make themselves look 10 year older than they really are, and expected to win.

To be fair, even the BBC news website tipped them, so I suppose someone outside this small country must have rated her song (I will admit to hearing it- I wore some radio headphones on the afternoon of the contest to drown out the sound of a chainsaw- although personally I preferred the sound of the saw to "hero"... sadly the 43% of Swedes who bought the single disagreed). So the country went into corporate shock when she ended up 18th!

Newspapers called it a scandal, editorials claimed they should pull out of future contests, and I even heard it referred to from the pulpit the next morning!

Sweden had finally discovered that Eurovision is a thinly disguised political freak show with votes going to fraternal nations with little regard to the quality of the music (although as that too is lacking is this surprising?). This is something that the rest of us knew and took for granted for years.

Have the Swedes lost their Eurovision cherry? We'll see what happens next year!

Music of the day

I went for a short walk yesterday morning with my ipod (I'd forgotten it was portable- it spends most of its time docked to some speakers!) I ended up sitting on a wall looking out over the dockyard and onto the firth of Forth.

I was lost to my thoughts until they were interrupted by the words to the song I that came on.

I wouldn't describe The Manic Street Preachers as religious in the traditional christian sense (in spite of their name!). Spiritual maybe... (one of their gigs I went to did feel more like worship than some churches I've been too, though!)

However this song just spoke to me, particularly the lines, "With grace we will suffer, With grace we shall recover"

So here is The Manic Street Preachers and There by the Grace of God

thus far and no further...

Over the last year and a half I’d like to think that I’ve grown to appreciate different aspects of swedish life and culture (both from my UK viewpoint and from the trips we’ve taken there)...

So... I enjoy inglad sil (pickled herring), learnt to eat jam with meat (lingonbery, etc), enjoy crispbread, drink blueberry and rose-hip soup (although I can’t yet take nyponsoppa cold...), I will (under duress) own up to having a pair of “plastic shoes” or croc rip-offs, I enjoy Swedish crime novels (still only in English), (I could go on)...

However, I’m afraid there is a rubicon that I just can’t cross...

Watching the weekend’s Melodifestivalen (song for europe/eurovision song contest trials) I was reminded that I just don’t get swedish europop. (Ok I get their indie and alternative rock scene... just look at some of my old MOTD’s). And I’m afraid that I’ll have to admit to the cardinal sin of not liking ABBA.

There I said it. I’ve admitted it out loud...

Which is why I’m going to post this classic Not the Nine O’Clock News clip of “ABBA”

Music of the day

We had a good day out on Sunday...

We started with sung Eucharist at St. John's Edinburgh in the morning, which was a nice start to the day. This was followed by a short walk into up through the Royal Mile and into Grassmarket where we had coffee at The Lot before having a birthday Lunch (not mine...) at The Petit Paris (excellent, as always- they are also happy to change the dishes to suit dietry requirements-and remarkably good value)

But back to the music...

I noticed that in the Lot, playing away in the background was Semisonic's 1998 album, "Feeling Strangely Fine"... Which took me back a decade to studies, part time work in hotels, and off course the title song...

So here is Semisonic and Closing Time

Music of the Day (Christmas Series)

In 1982 one of the nations favourite Christmas TV programmes was first shown. Every year since then Raymond Briggs The Snowman with its classic song "walking in the air" has been shown on TV as a tradition...

But, the best version is this one. Made as an advert for IRN-BRU it features some of the best known places in Scotland...

Enjoy

Music of the Day (Christmas Series)

OK, this might be embarrassing to admit, but I had a thing for old Bob Hope films when I grew up...

moving swiftly on...

Every time I hear this song I think of the film it was written for (The Lemon Drop Kid) and my mind goes back to my childhood... and I can't help trying to sing along...

So here is Silver Bells

Music of the day (Christmas Series)

Christmas Music is normally dire...

Apart from Carols and Classics, contemporary attempts are normally banal fluff (Fairytale of New York Excepted!)

But... back in 2000 XFM (UK based radio station) asked some (then) leading indie and alternative bands to either cover a Christmas song or write one. The result It's a Cool Cool Christmas raised money for charity and finally produced a Christmas album worth having...

I went into the Glasgow church one Christmas to prepare it for a Christmas program. After the service we were going to have a big "Christmas dinner/potluck/international food fest" and then after sunset games, etc. A few of us went in on Friday to get the hall decorated, etc (I even made a gingerbread model of the church) and I tool the CD in to play on the sound system... however, I forgot about it in the CD player. The next morning the head deacon arrived and went to switch on the sound system in order to play the CD he had left in from the week before... It wasn't the Bach he was expecting... luckily I managed to get my CD out before it got embarrassing!

The problem is finding any videos from the album,. It has little gems which were never released anywhere else...

So here is (because I can't find any thing else from the album on youtube...The Dandy Warhols and Little Drummer Boy

Music of the day (Christmas Series)

Over the next few days I'm going to post some of my favourite music from the festive season and open up a bit and tell you the story behind them...

I used to find it very hard to get into the Christmas season. For me it was a busy time. I had all the normal church programmes, visits, and activities to plan and deliver. On top of that were the special gatherings, church, community, charity, etc. Then there were the extra visits, the extra services to plan (and normally nominating committee ran on into December too!). I was often too busy to really feel as if I was grasping the reality of the time, and was struggling to pass it on.

So I used to go to another Christmas service. You see, I really couldn't worship in my own, after all I had probably planed it and was too busy ensuring it went to plan to get to worship properly.

So I would find another Churches service. I would look for an Episcopal (Anglican) church as I felt at home there, and go to a traditional service of nine lessons and Carols. I went to the cathedral in Glasgow a few times and then when I moved to Edinburgh I went to St John's.

2004 was my first Christmas in Edinburgh and my first year on my own in the church (in Glasgow I worked with another minister) and I had only just arrived at the church. So on top of all the usual business I was trying to settle in.

The Scottish Mission had its Christmas Dinner in Crieff at the Hydro and then when it finished I shot down the motorway to Edinburgh and got to the church just in time to find a seat. Desperately needing to rediscover the meaning of Christmas I waited to the service to start.

And there at the back of the church, the single voice of the solo began and the choir processed singing this hymn.

And all at once the glory of the Advent was rediscovered.



"Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" Ar. Elizabeth Poston
(This is the only version I could find... It wasn't a male voice choir at St John's... but you should still get the effect)

Music of the day

Ok, so this one's almost 3 years old, but its still a little newer than my usual choices!

So here is Athlete and Wires



(next will be an (old)new version of a classic Christmas song)

Music of the day

I know I promised an newer song... however, it is almost Christmas, and it is my blog...

So, with one of the greatest Christmas songs ever, here is The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl and Fairytale of New York

Music of the day

Another 90's indie (I think I still have the single somewhere...)

I think I'll have a break and post something a little more up to date next,

but first here is 3 Colours Red and Beautiful Day

Music of the day

As part of my ongoing campaign to get 90's indie the respect it deserves I'm highlighting another classic today...

So here is Monaco and What do you want from me

Music of the day

Time for some real old fashioned indie...

So here is Mansun and Wide Open Space

(family friendly) Music of the day

(to make up for the adult rated song I posted earrlier, here is Mitch Benn & The Distractions and Everything sounds like Coldplay Now)

Music of the day

Time to get political...

It might lack the class and sophistication of the old protest songs...

If you are offended by strong language, best not play it (honestly, I'm not just saying it)...

So here is Jarvis and Running the world

Music of the day

I feel like getting political so for the next few days I'll post some more radical songs.

So here is Gene and This is as good as it gets

Music of the day

Another of the oldie but goodie indie’s...

Catatonia

The problem is finding videos...

My favourite song- Strange Glue is only available as a video for another film which I don’t liket... (if you close your eyes you can listen to it here)

My second fav- Londinium is available as a bad live show... here

So it has to be...
So here is Catatonia and Mulder and Scully

Music of the day

Time for another goose bump producing song from the Manics ...

If this doesn’t make you come out in bumps or want to jump up and down then you’re not alive...

(and these guys are great live...)

Wiki has the story behind the song
So here is The Manic Street Preachers and A design for life

Music of the day

I decided it was time for some more classic indie ...

So here is James and She’s a Star




(If you want more, why not try his old classic sit down or a his newer Just like Fred Astaire)

Music of the day

Another more recent one (but hopefully off the radar for most of you)

Its time for some more british indie

So here is British Sea Power and It Ended on an Oily Stage